Instagram to implement anti-bullying features

Online bullying is unfortunately part of daily life for many users of social media, especially teenagers. Instagram is now launching two new features to combat harassment on the image sharing platform.

The first feature makes an attempt at educating potential bullies by asking them to confirm that they really want to post a comment when potentially harmful content has been detected. This allows them to reconsider and delete the offensive post. The entire process is automatized, with Instagram using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect questionable posts.

The second feature is called Restrict requires action by affected users. They can now ‘shadowban’ other users which means only the bullies (or whoever you decide to use the feature on) will be able to see their comments after posting and they won’t be aware that others aren’t seeing them, the idea being that the banned person won’t take any counter measures. The bully also won’t see when you are online or if you’ve read their direct messages.

The AI recommendation feature is rolling out across the platform now and the Restrict feature will be available in the near future.